India telecom authority completes blockchain pilots: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has completed a series of blockchain pilot projects to improve mobile network system functionality, including mobile number portability (MNP) and the Do Not Call Registry (DNC). Completed in association with IBM, the move is in contrast to the country’s stop-go action on cryptocurrencies where regulation has been stuck in court battles and red tape for some months.
Hyperledger brings in major Asian players: Hyperledger, the global open source project that works to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies, has added, among others, Alibaba Cloud, Guangzhou Technology Innovation, KEB Hana Bank and Techrock (formerly Walimai) to its already impressive member roster. The organization, that aims to deliver industry-specific applications, platforms and hardware systems, was launched in December 2015 by the Linux Foundation and has been heavily supported by big industry players such as IBM, Intel and SAP.
Shenzhen and Tencent create blockchain tax platform: The Shenzhen Municipal Taxation Bureau and Tencent have reportedly linked a blockchain tax invoice platform to the tech giant’s WeChat payment platform. WeChat, Tencent’s sprawling app that connects users to everything from shopping to social messaging, is estimated to have in excess of one billion users.

Auto execs think blockchain will be big: A report by the IBM Institute for Business Value interviewed 1,314 automotive executives across 10 functional areas and 10 countries. The report found that 62% of respondents thought blockchain would be a disruptive force in the automotive industry within three years, while 54% expect new business models to influence investments in blockchain. More than 50% also said they will implement their first commercial blockchain network at scale within the next three years.